Runeblade

Kaius let out a low groan, bent over with his head throbbing like he’d just been smacked upside the head with a blacksmith’s hammer. As soon as the pressure of a dozen different analyse skills pressing his Mask faded, so too did the pain and discomfort.

Raw indignation flooded him, mirrored by the tempered anger that flowed across his bond, revealing his brother’s own thoughts on the welcome they had received.

Rising to his full height, Kaius took in the milling delver’s with a furrowed brow, biting his cheek to stop himself from demanding to know what right the offenders had had to test him like that. His restraint was only made more difficult by the fact that the other guild members had stopped paying attention to him in the slightest, each and every one returning to their conversations like nothing had happened.

“What the hells was that, Kaius?” Porkchop asked as he mean-mugged the crowds of armed men who sat around tables and bandied stories like they were cards. They paid Porkchop little mind, his distaste drawing little more than a glance.

“I’m pretty sure we just got hazed.” Kaius sighed in defeat. “It’s common enough, but I would have thought the Guild of all places would be better than that. Seen it happen enough with tradesmen, putting the new guy in their place.”

Much to his surprise, his words seem to calm Porkchop immensely. “Oh. They were just asserting their position. That makes sense.”

As Kaius struggled not to cock a surprised brow at his brother, a figure rose from a seat near the middle of the tabled section. A man of middling height, with dark eyes and hair, dressed in heavily reinforced leather, with shortswords belted at his waist and a brace of throwing knives across his chest. Smiling at them awkwardly, but friendly enough, he made his way over as Kaius watched on with moderate distrust.

A final clincher, to let him know where he stood, perhaps?

The man came to a stop a half dozen paces from them, scratching the back of his head.

“Sorry about that, just a bit of ribbing from the established folk. It wasn’t you specifically, they do that to everyone who walks in here with that shiny eye’d look of awe.” the man explained, waving at the crowd behind him.

“It’s not just pointless bullying though, and no one was actually pushing your Mask. It’s mostly a way to test if someone has one in the first place. They would have suppressed their analysis skills so that it was all bark, no bite.” the man gave him half smile.

Kaius’s eyes widened, he hadn’t even realised that ‘testing’ someone's mask was something you could do. Was there a way to tell he was lying about his status?

The man caught his surprised expression and hurried to elaborate. “Not like that, anyone who wanders in here looking like that is inevitably pretty fresh. Half a room of experienced delvers smacking their Mask is invariably enough to get a response. If there isn't one, someone always pulls them aside and makes sure they know how to Mask in the future, it’s an important part of growing your strength, you can glean a surprising amount even with a basic identify. Saves people having to wait until bronze.”

The delver paused, giving him an evaluating look. “Honestly, the fact you didn’t pass out means you’re a tough one. Good job. The name’s Vangus. Just wanted to come over and let you know what's up, and see if you needed any help.” he finished, offering his hand.

Kaius gripped him back. “Well, it's nice to get at least one polite introduction I suppose. Why go through all that effort, anyway? It’s a bit extreme just to see if someone can Mask.” he asked.

A slight wince crossed Vangus’s face at Kaius’s words, but it was a small thing, and fleeting.

“It’s not. A lot of people…they get ideas about the guild. Build up an image in their head about it being this serene place of pure meritocracy, where everyone is buoyed by honour and strength of arm.” he explained.

Kaius frowned. That was…what the guild was, wasn’t it? Their neutrality was legendary, and it was impossible to rise through the ranks without integrity and strength.

Seeing his expression, Vangus raised his arms placatingly. “Woah, I’m not saying it’s not those things, but ya have to keep in mind everyone’s only a person, right? Walking into a trade like this all misty eyed and as green as a new shoot universally ends up with someone being just a little too easy to take advantage of. Usually it's small, a bad leader who prioritises their own safety over the team, or a merchant who gives you a bad price, or something like that. Not everyone thinks that membership is immediately deserving of respect.”

“So what, you just give the newbies a proverbial slap upside the head as they walk in the door to keep them on their toes?” Kaius asked, looking at the man sceptically. To Kaius’s left, Porkchop chuffed, backing him up with just enough gormless sincerity that it seemed as though he was a simple beast reacting to feelings across their bond.

Vangus watched Porkchop warily for half of a moment, before his deep brown eyes flicked back to Kaius.

“I…yeah, pretty much. Someone always gives the follow up though, thought I’d do it this time as you look tough. Not often you see someone walk in here with a bonded companion and a compliment of artefacts at your level. Look, the vast majority of delvers are alright, a few are the skin-off-their-backs types, and even fewer are gutless bastards. But the last do exist, so it’s on us as a group to stop the new guys from getting into a sticky situation.” Vangus said, giving him an imploring look. ṚåℕօᛒĘs

Kaius sighed. In the end, even if it did sting to get slapped around like that, it was only a momentary headache, and he could see the reason in getting the new guys to pay attention quickly.

“I suppose if I'd just been told I probably would have brushed it off as an overblown problem.” Kaius replied.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The delver gave him a beaming smile, flashing him with pearly white teeth. “Now you’re getting it! Listen, I assume you’re here to sign up?”

Kaius nodded.

“Fantastic, we need all the help we can get. Low level problems are exploding all over the region, and the tasks that need an Iron guilder are only barely less frequent. We need fresh blood, there's too much to do.” Vangus turned, gesturing to the short line that led to the receptionist's desk. “Go chat with Ro—you’re lucky she’s on the counter, she’d got pull. There's nothing major, just a truth stone interview to see if you intend to follow the rules, but she’ll be able to make it happen quicker than most.”

Kaius looked past him to watch the lithe blonde woman behind the desk, currently animatedly talking to a bare chested man who was nearly as hairy as Porkchop, before he looked back and gave Vangus a nod.

The delver smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good luck, new guy. These are some trying times, keep your wits about you.”

Vangus turned, returning to the tabled section of the guild hall where two of what Kaius assumed were his team members were waiting for him, a man garbed in chain with a round shield and mace laying on the floor, and a willowy woman in leathers with an unstrung bow propped up against the table. The pair rose a tankard as Vangus approached, toasting him with something unintelligible.

Taking a shallow breath, Kaius shared a look with Porkchop. “Well, that was an explanation at least. Why weren't you affected as much as me, by the way?”

Porkchop chuffed. “I only got hit by one or two. Like Vangus said, I don’t think they were really all that interested in actually breaking our Mask.”

Kaius slumped his shoulders, fully giving in to the fact that it might just have been reasonable after all.

“Come on, let's go join the line.” he said through their bond, turning around to make his way to the guild desk.

It seemed like in their deliberations, the hairy bare-chested man had finished his discussions, walking away from the counter with a wide smile on his face and a bag of coin gripped tightly in his hand to a raucous round of applause from a table of similarly under-dressed folks. The receptionist, on the other hand, watched the man go with a slight frown on her face.

“Bloody bruisers, too much muscle and not enough brains.” the receptionist muttered, just loud enough for him to hear, before she smiled at the next in line.

This interaction seemed to go much quicker. The man was some sort of skirmisher, a light footed front-line fighter. He slapped a bronze looking medallion on the counter and said he had a task to turn in. The receptionist smiled at him warmly, before scanning the medallion with something hidden out of view, then handed it back. The skirmisher gave her a quick nod, then scooped up his insignia and strutted away.

Then it was his turn.

“New guy right? Always rough the first time, but don’t worry, most of these guys would get down and dirty in a bar fight for a fellow guildy. The fact you didn’t shit yourself and crack your skull on the floor bought you a lot more good will than you think.” the receptionist said.

Kaius blinked. He hadn’t expected that from the face of the Guild in Deadacre. He took a step closer, and noticed that while she was wearing a tan blouse, she wore trousers instead of a dress, and had a sheathed bastard-sword leaning against the desk. A fellow delver, then. That made the foul mouth a little more understandable.

“Um, hi. Vangus said your name is Ro?” he said once he had collected his wits. “Names Kaius.”

Ro smiled. “Drorome, actually.” the first ar rolled off her tongue like a purring cat. “Most can’t nail the first syllable so I go by Ro.”

Kaius smiled, he knew that naming style, and could hear the faint remnants of a familiar accent. He’d met a few of them in the rare Hiwiann caravans that made it to the Sea; Father had told him of their origin when he’d been puzzled by the strange way they said ars. “Far south Hiwiann, right, Drorome?” he replied, doing his best to emulate the pronunciation.

The woman cackled, slapping her hand down on the desk with a loud slap. “That’s fucking terrible, call me Ro. But yes, good picking! You a travelled one then?” she asked.

Kaius shook his head. “Nah. Father was, but I asked him after I heard the accent for the first time. I’m from further north.”

“Oh, that explains it. Heard the wildstock up there breeds tough ones, but what the hells are they feeding ya for you to have gotten so big?” Ro asked, giving him a teasing smirk.

“I…uh, hunted game?” Kaius stammered.

“Oh, you’re too precious, definitely a village boy.” she chuckled. “Now, business. I assume you want to sign up?”

Nodding as fast as he could to change the subject, Kaius readily agreed.

Smiling just a little at his haste, Ro turned around and yelled further back into the more official sections of the Guild, a L-shaped room that curved out of sight, filled with desks.

“Hey, Jun! Get out here and take over; I'm gonna do an interview!” She yelled, before bending down to swipe two medallions from a drawstring bag at her waist, one wooden, and one brushed copper. A muffled response came from further back.

“I’m already going!” she yelled again, before she leapt up and grabbed her sword, circling around the desk. “Come on, it's just through here.”

Ro led the way, taking an impressively large door set to the left and in line with the counter. It opened into a hall, lit by wardlights, that wormed its way through the building, with more large doors opening on its left hand face. The hall was impressively large itself, with more than enough room for Porkchop to follow them.

“What's with the size?” Kaius asked after a few seconds, looking around curiously.

“Hmm?” Ro asked, looking back at him. “Oh, it’s less useful here, but all Halls are built to the same specifications. Need em big enough for the various giant folk and other bigger races, and it's not that uncommon for people to have bonded to a big warbeast like you did.” she explained as they walked, before slowing to a stop by a door that looked no different from the four others they had passed just like it.

“Come on in.” Ro said, pushing the door open with a casual display of strength. It swung inwards on silent hinges.

Inside was an austere stone room, devoid of any windows with a looping script that had been carved into the ceiling. While he didn’t know the specific script, it seemed relatively similar to High Lothian, at least in terms of the geometry it used - the runes were quite different. Still, it was enough for him to be half sure that it was some sort of silencing array, which would track for an interview room.

At the centre of the room lay a wide table, each wide side having a single high-backed chair. The middle of the table had a runescribed crystal, formations delicately engraved into the flat facets of the gem and filled in with copper wire. A truth stone, a working of renowned complexity, one he could make neither heads nor tails of.

Ro strode into the room, taking a seat at the table, before she slapped the wooden top.

“Well then, how about we have that chat.”

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